This invention was developed for use in the Continuous Processing System disclosed and described in copending U.S. application Ser. No. 319,563 filed 12/29/72, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,850,105 which utilizes a plurality of satellite functional processing operations each capable of stand-alone operation. This copending application is assigned to the assignee of this application.
As disclosed in the aforesaid U.S. Pat. No. 3,850,105, its manufacturing system is partitioned into functional parts or sectors. Each part consists of a set of process steps designed so that before and after which, the work product may be stored for some period of time without degradation in product quality of expected yield. The reason for partitioning the process this way is to allow accommodation of equipment failure and repair.
The process sectors are comprehended as stand-alone independent processing plants which accomplish a set of process steps and may have a temporary product storage unit at the output end. Work-pieces are brought to the input port of a sector by a central transport unit such as that disclosed in accordance with this invention. Upon sensing the presence of a work-piece at the input port, the sector controls cause the units to be processed through the entire sequence of steps in that sector, and after passing, optionally, through an output buffer to an output port for pickup by the central transport. In accordance with well known techniques, measurements are provided within a sector to allow confirmation of proper operation of tools within the sector and in some cases where desired, to provide send-ahead information for adaptive process controls to be applied in subsequent process sectors. Each of the sectors is also envisioned to be under suitable control, either by general purpose computer or a hardwired system, to specify and maintain process parameters, and to maintain proper flow of work-pieces for the sector.